By Dr. Ebuka Onyekwelu
A careful review of the events of Tuesday suggests that the Anambra State House of Assembly needs to review its approach in resolving the case involving its member, Hon. Bernard Udemezue. On Tuesday, when Hon. Bernard Udemezue walked into the Chamber without clearance following his suspension months ago, the conclusion was that he had arrived to make trouble. In fact, many thought he came to embarrass the Speaker and the Governor, visiting to present the 2026 appropriation bill. Moments later, he was approached by the Deputy Speaker, in the company of a police officer. Surprisingly, in less than two minutes afterwards, he got up and followed them out of the Chamber. Hon. Bernard wasted no time in following them out of the Legislative Chamber, with no resistance or argument with the Deputy Speaker. He simply got up, picked his belongings from the desk, and left the Chamber in the company of the Deputy Speaker and the officer. In the end, Hon. Udemezue was further suspended for another period of three months without pay. This action of the Anambra Assembly shows a major gap in dispensing with issues of this nature, with the big picture in view. Without a doubt, the Assembly’s reputation and public perception are way bigger than, say, a disciplined and tamed Hon. Bernard, whose association with the Anambra Assembly is dependent on his people’s mandate.
For a start, as of today, the demand on the Anambra State House of Assembly in dealing with this issue is way beyond resorting to relevant rules to issue out sanctions. Regrettably, the action taken by the Assembly only strengthens the same old suspicion and further alienates the institution from the people. This calls for genuine concern about the integrity of our institutions. We should be creating legacies that must outlive us. Hon. Bernard, four years ago, was not a House member, and so the thinking that this is about Hon. Bernard or that he must be taught a lesson in how not to be a rascal must be confined to the refuse dumb behind the Assembly complex. The continued suspension of Hon. Bernard appears as nothing more than mere intimidation or a show of force, which casts a shadow on the institution more than any damage it can do to Bernard. Such cannot help the case of the Assembly against the lawmaker, who is now widely seen as a victim of the schemes of powerful people.
As for the Tuesday event, I suspect that Hon. Bernard carefully calculated his sudden appearance in the Chambers. Perhaps, he wanted to show the world that he was being victimized, and as it turned out, the House of Assembly only justified that. If Bernard had intended to disrupt the sitting or cause commotion, he would have resisted the Deputy Speaker who approached him with an officer. But, he did not make any objection, he simply followed them out of the Chambers, much to the consternation of many. However, by this show of no resistance, yet he got further suspended, the House of Assembly has positioned itself as a villain, an anti-people institution, and an instrument of oppression. The House must therefore rescue itself from the Bernard curse.
The irony is that Hon. Bernard is in the minority of the minority and can’t do anything to overturn any decision of the Assembly. He is a member of the PDP and does not exercise any kind of influence over his colleagues. One therefore wonders why the Assembly is even so interested in such a legislator, with no significant relevance capable of altering the Assembly’s decisions in any meaningful way. So, for Bernard and his Anyamelum constituency, their current predicament is heavier than double jeopardy. There can possibly be no excuse to the fact that he is being merely intimidated, perhaps, as a lesson for any upcoming House member who may wish to become a comrade or an agitator just like Bernard. But the House is making a grave mistake and dragging itself into deeper disrepute, public ridicule, and potential illegitimacy arising from popular stigma against the legislature. The Anambra Assembly should not say that it doesn’t matter because it is following rules. It matters because an issue like this discredits government institutions, and the populace forms its uncharitable opinions of government from this sort of experience. It is unhealthy for the public good. Worst still, Hon. Bernard or any other House of Assembly member cannot even speak at plenary without the permission of the Speaker or the presiding officer, who must be one of those controlling the House at present. It is also unlikely that he would risk forcing his way to speak when he has not been permitted to, at plenary. To that end, from every conceivable standpoint, his continued suspension is unnecessary and an overkill. It is a waste of the Assembly’s time, which should be channeled towards more important matters, such as making the plenary more conducive for lawmakers to converge and carry out their legislative duties, with functional microphones and air conditioners.
The Anambra Assembly must deliberately imbibe a democratic culture of tolerance to build inclusivity and public confidence in the institution. As the Anambra State House of Assembly is now seen as a bully, many people who previously didn’t support Hon. Bernard now think he is a victim. Naturally, people support and often stand with the weak against powerful oppressors. The House of Assembly must be swift in rescuing itself from being an oppressor in this matter.
About Author
